[iDC] Second Life as educational tool

[Chris Byrne]

As I hope I made clear, I did have some big reservations about the  
article, it's certainly not a work of critical theory... Despite the  
numerous and rather serious flaws, it took a position which has at  
least raised some questions.

Maybe the question is: why did the author end up in the white  
suburbs? Do you just find what you're looking for in SL?

Any other, more meaningful critiques/papers/discussions out there on  
SL and its significance (or otherwise)?

C

On 2 Feb 2007, at 14:02, patrick lichty wrote:

> This was a pretty facile read on the matter.
>
> 1: I Use SL as a tool in class, and I have just about EVERY type in  
> my classes.
>
>
>
> 2. My closest associates in SL are:
>
> An orthodox Jew living in Buenos Aires.
>
> A gay African American living in San Francisco
>
> A Baghdadi Iraqi displaced by the war and scraping by in Amman,
>
> A househusband in Vancouver,
>
> A disabled writer from Cleveland,
>
> A Chinese-American student at the New School in NYC
>
> 2 Brazilians
>
>
>
> Did I miss something?
>
>
>
>
>
> Patrick Lichty
>
> - Interactive Arts & Media
>   Columbia College, Chicago
>
> - Editor-In-Chief
>
>   Intelligent Agent Magazine
>
> http://www.intelligentagent.com
>
> 225 288 5813
>
> voyd at voyd.com
>
>
>
> "It is better to die on your feet
> than to live on your knees."
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: idc-bounces at bbs.thing.net [mailto:idc-bounces at bbs.thing.net]  
> On Behalf Of Skawennati Tricia Fragnito
> Sent: Thursday, February 01, 2007 7:09 PM
> To: Chris Byrne; IDC list
> Subject: Re: [iDC] Second Life as educational tool
>
>
>
> I am pretty sure that that critique sucked!  It is true that SL is  
> very White, but, guess what: so is the Internet! I am sorry, dear  
> list members, that I do not have the mental bandwidth to write a  
> decent critique of this critique, but I just had to put in my two  
> cents.  Maybe I just don't have the time to talk about all the  
> things that are wrong with what Destiny wrote (though Chris  
> mentioned some biggies!).  I really hate it when people think that  
> minorities who have the same values as middle class White people  
> --  "university education, an open mind, a thirst for  
> learning" (according to Destiny)-- are no longer being true to  
> their culture.  Damn!
>
>
>
> This Mohawk/Italian chick, who considers herself fortunate indeed  
> to have a university education, is now going to her Second Life  
> where she meets up with other artists, nerds, Indians, and Others  
> to chat, have fun, make art and (dare i day it???) change the world.
>
>
>
> !!!!
>
> Love,
>
> Skawennati aka xox Voyager
>
>
>
>
>
> At 8:36 PM +0000 1/31/07, Chris Byrne wrote:
>> At the risk of being known as "the guy who just forwards snippets  
>> from The Register", I thought I would.....you get the picture.
>>
>> I'm not at all sure about this critique of Second Life, in some  
>> respects it is highly subjective, has a phobia about feminists,  
>> and is a tad narcissistic (but then it is about a fantasy role play).
>>
>> "Second Life is perhaps the whitest environmet I've ever  
>> experienced, and the most middle-class: I'm hard pressed to recall  
>> a single conversation with an undeucated resident. By and large,  
>> everyone is playing, and everyone has a fairly healthy bank  
>> account, as the basic costs of entry - even for a free account -  
>> are dictated by some rather pricey computing parephrenalia (sic).  
>> Everyone is concerned with arts and science, and speaks with pride  
>> about information technology; everyone likes to learn; everyone  
>> believes in progress. It is, literally, an online white suburban  
>> paradise."
>>
>> Whoever thought virtual reality could bring up so many 'real' issues?
>>
>> My big, fat, lily-white Second Life
>> By Destiny Welles
>> Published Tuesday 30th January 2007 15:11 GMT
>>
>> http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/01/30/lily_white_and_not_loving_it/
>>
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>